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A32 sports
Dialuna 28 Juni 2021

Serena Williams says she will not play at the Tokyo Olympics

the tennis competition at the Grand Slam singles title. “I for personal reasons.”
All England Club — and in don’t really want to — I don’t Other top tennis players such
doubles at the 2000 Sydney feel like going into them to- as Rafael Nadal and Dominic
Olympics and 2008 Beijing day. Maybe another day. Sor- Thiem also have said they’ll
Olympics. ry.” skip the trip to Japan, where
the Olympics open on July
All of her doubles golds were U.S. Tennis Association 23, a year after being post-
won with her older sister, Ve- spokesman Chris Widmaier poned because of the corona-
nus, as her partner. wrote in an email to The As- virus pandemic.
sociated Press on Sunday:
At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro “Ultimately, the decision to Roger Federer said Saturday
Games, Serena Williams lost participate in the Games is he hasn’t decided whether
in the third round of singles an individual one, and as we to participate in the Tokyo
to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine emerge from the pandemic, Games and will figure that
and the siblings were beaten we recognize and respect the out after he sees how things
in the first round of doubles. personal decisions made by go at Wimbledon.
(AP) — Serena Williams I’m aware of. If so, then I Before that, they had been our top athletes regarding
said she will not go to the shouldn’t be on it,” Williams 15-0 as an Olympic doubles participation in the Tokyo Asked what she thinks it will
Tokyo Olympics, but did said. team. Games. Although we fully be like to sit out these Sum-
not want to say why dur- support the IOC and the mer Games, Williams re-
ing her pre-Wimbledon The 39-year-old Williams “There’s a lot of reasons that (International Tennis Federa- plied: “I have not thought
video conference with re- has won four gold medals at I made my Olympic deci- tion), and have encouraged about it. In the past, it’s been
porters Sunday. past Summer Games for the sion,” Williams said the day our athletes to participate, we a wonderful place for me. I
United States: in both singles before the start of main-draw recognize the fact that in this really haven’t thought about
“I’m actually not on the and doubles at the 2012 Lon- action at Wimbledon, where unique time, some athletes it, so I’m going to keep not
Olympic list. ... Not that don Olympics — which held she will try to collect her 24th may choose not to participate thinking about it.”

Vandy unhappy how it made CWS finals but ready for Bulldogs

(AP) — Awkward is the only 13 players available. through it and the games that Corbin wasn’t ready to an- “We’re trying to be as pro-
only way to describe Van- we’ve had to play — and now nounce his Monday starter. tective as we can. The first
derbilt’s appearance in the “We’re here for a reason,” first you’re having to play Vander- National strikeout leader couple nights we came to our
all-SEC College World Se- baseman Dominic Keegan bilt — there will be no as- Jack Leiter, a rojected top- lobby, thousands of people,
ries finals beginning Mon- said. “We earned our spot terisk for us,” Lemonis said. five draft pick, would be up it’s the best part of winning a
day night against Missis- here and we got here because “And I hate it for N.C. State. next in the rotation. Leiter, game out here.”
sippi State. of our abilities and what we I have three coaches who who threw 123 pitches in
can do.” worked for Elliot (Avent) a win over N.C. State last Corbin said Vanderbilt has
The Commodores were sup- on my staff. I have a long Monday, took his first loss not altered its coming-and-
posed to play North Caro- The No. 7 Bulldogs (48-17) relationship with Elliot. My of the season in the second going routines at its hotel.
lina State in a winner-take-all played two bracket finals nieces and nephews all went game against MSU in April.
bracket final Saturday and against Texas, winning 4-3 on to N.C. State. I have a lot of Mississippi State has begun Corbin didn’t answer di-
found out 12 hours before Saturday on Tanner Leggett’s respect there. ... using a back entrance to en- rectly when asked if he could
the the start the Wolfpack walk-off base hit. ter and leave its hotel as a pre- require his players to be vac-
had been removed from the “But for our guys, that stuff’s caution against COVID-19. cinated because Vanderbilt
tournament because of CO- “Our guys have fought since out of our control. All we can Lemonis said the move was is a private university. That
VID-19 protocols. The game the day we got here,” MSU do is show up and play, and made in response to the wouldn’t be the case at pub-
was declared a no-contest. coach Chris Lemonis said. whoever is in the other dug- Wolfpack’s virus issues. lic schools such as N.C. State
“We haven’t had an easy out we compete against.” and Mississippi State.
“We certainly sympathize game yet. It’s been very tight, The Bulldogs have brought a
with their team, their fan tough ballgames. But, man, Mississippi State will start large group of fans to Omaha, “I’ve spent a lot of time edu-
base, too, understanding that they keep finding a way to Christian McLeod in Game and players mixed with them cating the group what this
we don’t know the level of persevere. It’s been earned by 1. He’s made one appearance until Friday. process could look like at
hurt that they are exposed to our guys and I look forward in the CWS, lasting just 1 1/3 the beginning of the year,”
right now, but we certainly to seeing them play on this innings and giving up four “The last couple days, we Corbin said. “We are certain-
recognize it,” Vandy coach stage.” runs in a 6-5 win over Vir- haven’t signed autographs or ly comfortable with where
Tim Corbin said Sunday. ginia last Tuesday. shaken hands,” Lemonis said. we are and what we’ve done.”
Vanderbilt won two of the
“None of us wish to be in three regular-season meet-
this particular position. We ings with MSU in Nash-
certainly would want to play ville in April. Vandy’s Kumar
them on the field or have Rocker, a possible top-10
played them on the field, but pick in the Major League
we didn’t. So we are in the Baseball draft and the 2019
situation where we move for- CWS Most Outstanding
ward.” Player, pitched a three-hitter
in the first game of that series
Vanderbilt is the reigning na- and could be available if the
tional champion, having won finals go three games.
the CWS in 2019. There was
no tournament last year be- Lemonis dismissed any sug-
cause of the pandemic. gestion that this year’s cham-
pionship would be tainted
The No. 4 national seed because Vanderbilt made the
Commodores (48-16) are at finals without completing
this point after winning two bracket play, albeit through
elimination games, most re- no fault of its own.
cently 3-1 Friday against an
N.C. State team that had “The way that we came